RTV HD2
Not to be confused with a similar-named channel known as rTV2 HD. rTV HD2 is a Robloxian television channel owned by rTV Networks, launched on April 21, 2018. The channel is dedicated to offering high-definition broadcasts of channels owned by the company not currently offered in high definition, and to serve as a testing area for such channels. The channel is exclusive to the roTV premium television service. History Initially, rTV HD2 was part of a series of high-definition channels proposed in early 2018. rTV HD rTV HD was initially proposed as early as 2015, first as a singular high-definition channel, offering a selection of content from all of rTV Networks' channels at the time. The channel's scope was then narrowed at the beginning of 2018 to just offer programming from rTV and Rnetwork; Blox News Channel was intended to receive an HD simulcast later. All three channels ended up receiving high-definition simulcasts at the same time, as part of the launch which included rTV HD2. rTV HD2 The original plans for rTV HD2 were for the channel to feature content from rTV Networks' Robloxian-content premium television channels, such as rTV Life. Like rTV HD, a mixture of content from these channels was to comprise the schedule of this version of rTV HD2. rTV HD3 rTV HD3 was intended to serve as the HD simulcast outlet for rTV Networks' IRL-content properties: rTV Fun, GTV, rTV3, rTV3+, rTV3 GT, Viva Roblox, and Viva2. The channel was set to run from noon to midnight ET, with each channel getting equal time on the service, of six hours a week; consisting of one hour of content in daytime per day and one five-hour block in primetime per week consisting of that channel's programs. This was possible given rTV Networks owned exactly seven IRL-content channels at the time. The schedule was organized as follows: ¹ Defined as 7pm to midnight ET. ² Simulcast from 7-9pm ET; HD2-exclusive repeat of earlier programming (4-7pm ET) from 9pm-midnight ET. ³ Effectively direct simulcasts of the programming on these channels (albeit not an exact one due to the unpredictability of scheduling on Original Livestream). Viva Video Court was planned to air as part of rTV HD2 rather than on rTV HD3. Channel development and launch As it was announced that Original Livestream would be shutting down in July 2018, rTV Networks altered its initial high-definition migration strategy. On April 21, 2018, rTV Networks launched seven high-definition channels on roTV, intending them to be exclusive to the service until July 1, 2018, where they will replace their standard-definition Original Livestream counterparts. The channels were rTV HD2 and HD simulcasts of rTV, Rnetwork, Blox News Channel, Viva Roblox, Viva2, and Blox Sports. Tests had been running on the channel in private over the prior week as basic channel management issues for HD2 and other future rTVN channels began to be handled. rTV HD2 launched at 4pm ET on April 28, 2018, a week after it was made public; the first program aired was Tipping Point, from the GTV schedule. Although rTV HD2 operates as a proper channel, the channel is intended as a testing service for future rTV Networks HD channels, and as such is not as operationally polished as other channels. For example, a notable flaw was found during broadcasts of rTV3 programming on HD2's launch night, which will need to be overcome in order for services from the IRL-content properties rTVN owns to continue. On January 18, 2019, rTV HD2 received a new logo, as part of a wider rebranding of rTV Networks. The new logo includes the new rTV logo and updates the rest of the wordmark to align with rTVN's new corporate typeface. Programming Current format At present, rTV HD2 operates in a general programming capacity for six hours a day, between 4pm and 10pm ET. The first three hours of the channel's schedule, from 4pm until 7pm ET, are programming from GTV, which has not yet launched its own HD service (though it is planned by mid-2019). The latter half of the channel's schedule, from 7pm until 10pm ET, consists of programming from the rTV3 library (which comprises of rTV3, rTV3+, rTV3 GT, and rTV Fun). During the time rTVN owned the company, the channel included no content from Lava Lamp Entertainment's library. In the days leading up to the channel's launch, rTV HD2 had been broadcasting a loop of footage of the Swiss landscape (similar, but not identical, to what was broadcast on rTV Networks' free-to-air channels for much of the period between 2014 and 2016) between noon and 7pm and 8pm and 9pm ET. Over the weekend of rTV HD2's launch, on April 21 and 22, 2018, rTV Networks owner BenzBot considered adding programming from Viva Roblox and Viva2 to the rTV HD2 schedule, in spite of the fact that both channels had simulcast feeds in progress. The change was due to the fact that BenzBot felt Viva Roblox and Viva2 would be better served by the streaming backend used for rTV HD2 rather than the service initially intended. The programming addition would have consisted of two additional hours of programming on the rTV HD2 schedule: Viva Roblox content at 10pm ET and Viva2 content at 11pm ET, expanding rTV HD2's broadcast hours to midnight. In early May 2018, given early knowledge derived from rTV HD2, it began to be considered as to whether or not to skip the trial period and work on switching Viva Roblox and Viva2 to HD directly. Viva Roblox and Viva2 ultimately switched to the platform used by rTV HD2 and began broadcasting in HD in May 2018. The channel launched an altered programming schedule on May 13, 2018, aiming to offer viewers a consistent programming schedule while rTVN test changes outside regular broadcast hours. The new schedule features a selection of series from GTV from 4pm-7pm ET, including unique weekday and weekend schedules and programming premieres (dubbed "HD Premieres" in promotions) weeknights at 6pm ET, as well as a handful of rTV3 series from 7pm-10pm ET. rTV Networks stated they had limited sourcing capabilities at the time, but pushed hard to make do with what content could be acquired easily at the time. On July 21, 2018, rTV Networks announced at their RTNG MediaCon Summer 2018 presentation that despite the completion of the 2018 Robloxian television transition, at least by rTVN, rTV HD2 would continue to broadcast as a general entertainment channel, and continue to serve as a way to test future concepts from rTV Networks, including but not limited to airing programming rTV Networks has the rights to, but does not have a place for on any of its other existing channels. No changes to the current schedule were announced at the time, but it was later explained that following the launches of HD simulcasts of rTV3 and GTV, rTV HD2 is set to become an IRL-content general entertainment channel at some point in 2019, featuring a new selection of programming. The channel will continue to serve as a testing channel for IRL-content programming on Robloxian TV, as rTVN feels there is still room for improvement. Plans to begin to incorporate HD2-specific programming and to reduce the amount of programming from GTV and rTV3 were started in March 2019. Additionally, rTVN is considering renaming the channel, as high-definition content is no longer a unique selling point now that all Robloxian TV channels now broadcast in HD. At present, it is rumored that the channel could adopt the "rTV Prime" name (once considered as the potential name for what is now rTV Max) under the current brand package, before relaunching as a more distinct channel brand once all simulcast programming is removed from the channel and content sourcing becomes more readily available. Programs currently broadcast by rTV HD2 * 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (April 28, 2018-present, from GTV) * The Crystal Maze (May 13, 2018-present, from GTV) * The Cube (May 17, 2018-present, from GTV) * Dude, That's My Ghost! (May 13, 2018-present, from rTV3) * Eggheads (May 22, 2018-present, from rTV3) * Get Ace (May 13, 2018-present, from rTV3) * Jimmy Two-Shoes (May 13, 2018-present, from rTV3) * Millionaire Hot Seat (May 15, 2018-present, from GTV) * Only Connect (April 28, 2018-present, from GTV) * Pointless (May 14, 2018-present, from GTV) * Takeshi's Castle (May 13, 2018-present, from GTV) * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003 (May 13, 2018-present, from rTV3) * Total Wipeout (May 13, 2018-present, from GTV) Programs formerly broadcast by rTV HD2 * Tipping Point (April 28, 2018-May 18, 2018, from GTV) Category:HD Channels